Kamogelo Olaitan
Police in Nigeria have rescued 35 teenage girls who were being forced into prostitution by a trafficking ring.
The girls, aged between 14 and 17, were found at the Gally Gally Hotel in Anambra state, southeastern Nigeria.
It’s alleged that the girls are used for both prostitution and baby-making.
Local police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga said in a statement on Wednesday that children born to the girls are sold.
Ikenga added that four of the girls were pregnant and that police confiscated weapons and cash during the raid.
“Three men were arrested at the scene, while the owner of the hotel is on the run,” the police said.
According to the United Nations, human trafficking, which includes forced prostitution and the sale of children, is the third most common crime in Nigeria, behind corruption and drug trafficking, with southern Nigeria most affected.
The Associated Press reported that illegal maternity wards have been discovered in this part of the country in recent years.
